


Wrong Ideas

by GodlingCaptainChristina



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Engagement, Fluff, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 08:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6846769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodlingCaptainChristina/pseuds/GodlingCaptainChristina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve has the absolute best boyfriend in the world. 100% the best, and he does not deserve him a bit. But he has him, without reserve or question. Through every mission, every media scandal, every nightmare, they have each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wrong Ideas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chibitardis](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=chibitardis).



> I got this idea around 3 AM a few months ago after reading a Tumblr post that I can't fucking find anymore. Now I'm using this to help combat my raging Civil War feels. Forgive any glaring mistakes; this is unedited. I did a quick read through, but it is 2 AM and I am tired.  
> I'm also on tumblr under the same name as here.

Steve has the absolute best boyfriend in the world. 100% the best, and he does not deserve him a bit. But he has him, without reserve or question. Through every mission, every media scandal, every nightmare, they have each other. 

Bringing Bucky home was the easy part. Tony welcomed him without complaint or question. Helping him through his PTSD was the real issue. Being a brainwashed ex-assassin kind of messed with your head a bit; who knew? But that meant not being able to spend as much time with Tony. 

So, he was understandably concerned that Tony didn’t raise a fuss. Even at his most mature, Tony was prone to dramatics. Whenever Steve apologized for missing something, he’d just grin and kiss him. Like he knew some secret and was too happy keeping it to himself. He had expected Tony to get jealous and insecure when he started spending more time with Bucky. He’d expected that they’d have to have a talk, reassuring Tony that he only loved him and wouldn’t dream of leaving him. He’d expected Rhodey or Pepper to come to their room after Tony left for work and threaten him back into line.

But none of that happened. 

Tony didn’t suddenly withdraw from him. Pepper never came to threaten him (thank God). Nothing happened.

It was safe to say that Steve was anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop, constantly stuck stressing about a situation that, to all appearances, wasn’t forming. Don’t mistake him, he was immensely relieved about the lack of blow up, but he just couldn’t relax about it, either. 

“Okay, I think we need to talk,” Tony finally growled. They were at the breakfast table, surrounded by their team. Steve had tentatively broached the subject of taking Bucky and Natasha on a double date with them to the museum. “Come on.” Tony didn’t wait for him to stand up before walking to the living room.

Oh, God, Steve thinks. Here’s the blow-up. 

“Alright, Rogers, I don’t know what’s going on with you recently, but you have got to stop.” Tony crossed his arms over his chest, just below the glow of the arc reactor, cocking a hip out, unconsciously ticking every single one of Steve’s boxes. That pose was what had finally driven Steve to asking him out (after several minutes of making out against one of his workbenches). 

“Stop what?” He very carefully didn’t apologize. That would, in all likelihood, make everything worse here. 

“That!” Tony jabs a finger at him. Okay, maybe apologizing would have been better. “That whole treating me like- like I'm glass thing! You’ve been doing it for weeks, Steve. You don’t have a subtle bone in your damn body.” 

“I don-”

“If you have something to say, say it, dammit. I’ve been sitting here twiddling my thumbs, trying not to push since this started, but you have to talk to me, Steve. Relationships are built on trust and communication. At least, that’s what Pepper has been telling me.” 

Almost against his will, Steve grins. Before he gets much more comfortable, though, Tony snaps impatient fingers at him. 

“Talk, Rogers. Before I break out that truth serum I’ve been experimenting with.” Tony softens the words with a smile. 

“I’m sorry, Tony. I’ve just been worried.”

And that’s about where Tony’s softball sympathy ends. 

Fire fills his eyes and he pushes Steve down on the sofa, arms bracketing him in, looming and glaring. “Now, Steve. Don’t try bullshitting me again.” Tony’s words are a soft growl, enough to send sparks of arousal skittering down his spine, followed shortly by no small amount of dread. 

“I’vebeenwaitingforyoutoblowupabouthowmuchtimeI’vebeenspendingwithBucky,” Steve whispers, words running together in his haste to just have them out. 

For a split second, Tony looks confused before it clicks. 

Then he’s just grinning. And… laughing? 

By the time Steve’s found it in him to be indignant, Tony is already kissing him quiet. 

“That’s it?” Tony is still laughing, but he’s peppering kisses across Steve’s face. “I’ve been sitting here thinking something was wrong.” He settles himself on Steve’s lap, continuing his kisses.

“I don’t think I understand,” Steve admits, arms curling around Tony, trying to keep him in place. 

“Steve, sweetheart, why would I be upset about you being around your best friend?” he asks patiently. His smile softens imperceptibly. “He’s your Rhodey,” he says it so simply that Steve felt like a simpering fool for ever having thought Tony would react badly, and even worse for not talking about it. “He’s your Rhodey and he needs you right now.”

Steve almost sobs in relief, but buries his face in Tony’s neck instead.

“If it makes you feel any better, Barnes came to me weeks ago with the same concerns you were having. He wanted to make sure that I realized that nothing had never, and would never happen between the two of you.” Tony smiles into Steve’s hair. “I’m betting that would be partially because you two are brothers in all but blood, and partially because he’s as straight as everyone expected you to be.” Having Steve laugh wetly against his neck makes the bad joke worth it. 

“I love you,” Steve whispers. Maybe if he says the words enough, they’ll imprint themselves into Tony’s skin for everyone to see, a constant reminder that he’s his. “So much.”

“I love you, too.” Tony kisses him on top of his head. “Even if you’re a hopeless dork sometimes.” 

“Guess you’ll have to spend forever trying to fix that,” Steve jokes. 

“Well, I was gonna go for somewhere more romantic than the couch to propose, but if that’s your prerogative…” Tony trails off, pulling away long enough to retrieve a box from his pocket. 

Steve’s breath catches in his throat. Is he really…?

“So?” Holding open the box, Tony looks so nervous, but he isn’t backing down.

“Yes,” he says on a sob. 

“Dibs on best man!” Bucky and Rhodey yell together.


End file.
